Ryken’s contribution to the Gospel Coalition series of booklets concerns the doctrine of justification, which holds the distinction of being the topic at the heart of the Reformation. Justification continues to be debated and contested today, largely due to the fact that Scripture assigns a prominent role to it. Ryken helps identify and explain the core tenets of this critical teaching, discussing the necessity of a righteousness from outside ourselves—a righteousness only Christ can provide.   

It is only when we see the stark and ugly reality of our sin that we are truly ready to turn to God for help—specifically, for the forgiveness and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. [9]

While there are many ways to describe God’s saving grace, the legal category of justification is fundamental to the gospel. Since God is a judge as well as a father, our relationship to Him must be a right relationship. To eliminate the legal basis for this rightness (i.e., justification) is to make it impossible for a sinner to know God in a saving way. Even worse, it is to believe in a God of unjust love who forgives people without having any right to do so. [12]

Since there is no righteousness in us, we can be justified only by a righteousness that comes from somewhere outside of us. This righteousness is God’s own righteousness, which He grants to us through faith in Jesus Christ. [14]

Salvation depends, therefore, on a triple imputation: first, by the fall of Adam, sin is imputed to the human race; second, in repentance, a believer’s sin in imputed to Christ; third, by faith, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believing sinner. [18]

The justification of sinners is also the justification or vindication of God. In justification, God proves His justice by dealing justly as well as mercifully with sinners through the cross. A transaction has taken place: our sin was imputed to Christ, and He was condemned; His righteousness is imputed to us, and we are justified. [18]

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In summary fashion, Ryken examines the foundational tenets of the Christian worldview as expressed and explained by the Bible. Using the subheadings of creation, fall, grace, and glory, Ryken takes a ‘big picture’ approach to the key themes and elements of Scripture. Beyond that, he efforts to show how these fundamental truths then play out in the everyday nuances of believers’ lives. The result is effective as the entry-level approach this booklet is intended to be.

Whether we realize it or not, we all have basic beliefs about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. This is unavoidable. Even people who never stop to think about their worldview in any self-reflective way nevertheless live on the basis of that worldview. [8]

We did not make ourselves, and thus we cannot define our own identity. Who we are and what we are is ordained by God. We depend on Him for the very meaning of our existence. [18]

We have a God-given responsibility to develop the possibilities of creation in ways that reveal our Maker’s praise, and thus to fill the whole earth with His glory. We are to do this in science, politics, business, sports, literature, film, and all the arts. It is not just one part of life that ought to glorify God, but all of life, in all its fullness. This is the way that things were meant to be. [24]

Such is our depravity that every part of every person is tainted by sin. Sin corrupts our hearts, so that we set our affections on unholy desires. It corrupts our feelings, so that we are in emotional turmoil. It corrupts our wills, so that we will not choose the good. Our whole nature is corrupted by sin. We are sinners through and through. [27]

If Christ is preeminent, ruling over all things for the glory of God, then we are called to acknowledge His supreme lordship in all of life, every aspect of which is sacred to God. We are not called simply to trust Jesus for our salvation, but also to live for Him in everything we do. [36]

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Calvinism has become, in our day, a polarizing issue. Those who uphold it are assumed to be stoic and insensitive, callously indifferent to the Biblical mandates of prayer and evangelism. Not so, claims Ryken. He argues that a true Calvinist—one who believes in the doctrines of grace as expounded in Scripture—will live a life that is firmly grounded in worshipping God, praying fervently, sharing the faith, seeking unity with fellow believers, and loving others.

The doctrines of grace help to preserve all that is right and good in the Christian life: humility, holiness, and thankfulness, with a passion for prayer and evangelism. The true Calvinist ought to be the most outstanding Christian—not narrow and unkind, but grounded in God’s grace and therefore generous of spirit. [6]

The sovereignty of God proves to be absolutely essential to the efficacy of prayer, for only a sovereign God has the power to answer! [19]

Because salvation is entirely due to God’s grace, for that very reason prayer—especially prayer for evangelism—is absolutely essential. Prayer is the heart’s surrender to the will of God. Those who believe most strongly in the sovereignty of grace ought to be most persistent in asking God to do what only He can do, and that is to save sinners. [21]

Christianity is not a performance-based religion. Those who are saved by grace also live by grace, and their growth in grace is due to the gracious work of God’s Spirit. [22]

Perseverance is not simply a matter of surviving to the end of the Christian life, and then somehow making it to heaven. Rather, to persevere is to lead a holy and productive Christian life. [25]

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In a series of seven sermons, Boice and Ryken delved into the trial of Jesus, borrowing legal language to walk through the events leading up to Christ’s death. Although it is a brief, introductory-level approach, it remains helpful in that it reviews often overlooked aspects of the way Jesus was tried and discusses their importance. On a more somber note, these sermons are among the last Boice preached before his death from liver cancer in 2000.

Jesus is just full of surprises. Put him to death, and he comes back to life. Conspire against him, seeking his death, and he will conspire against you, dying for your sins and then rising again to give you eternal life. Put Jesus on trial—if you dare! Try to decide if he measures up to your standards and you will discover that all the while he has been investigating you. Perhaps even now Jesus is plotting to bring you into a whole new relationship with him. [31]

Few things have done more damage to the cause of Christ than misguided attempts to advance his kingdom with the sword. To be sure, the church is engaged in warfare; yet all the weapons in its arsenal are spiritual: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, prayer, “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). [51]

God will judge us on the basis of our decision about Jesus Christ. Thus the trial of Jesus has a way of putting us on trial. We are forced to reach a verdict on Jesus; and God, in turn, judges us on the basis of that verdict. [82] 

When Jesus died, everything to which the Old Testament sacrifices pointed was fulfilled. There is no need for any further sacrifice for sin. God has accepted the sacrifice of his Son as the full payment for sin. The death penalty has been fully executed, and now the way to God is open for all who would put their trust in Jesus. God showed this dramatically by tearing the veil from top to bottom. [109]

Because of Christ’s saving work, it is now possible for those who believe on him to approach God directly. The people of God could not do this before Christ’s death. They needed to approach God indirectly, asking a priest to intercede for them. But now the way is open for everybody. [112]

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Many question the validity of Christ being the only way to God, citing things like the inherent goodness in people, the faith of other religions, or the love of God as reasons to believe in many ways to Him. Ryken briefly explains why these reasons fail (they are neither the message of the Bible nor what Christ taught about Himself) and shows why even having one way to God is a supreme act of His mercy.

How does the pluralist know what kind of worship God will accept? The suggestion that God doesn’t care how He is worshipped is rather presumptuous. Indeed, this shows how smug pluralism can be. Although it claims to be humble about its ability to grasp religious truth, philosophical pluralism has an arrogance all its own. By declaring that doctrine is unimportant, it is condescending toward the truth-claims of every other religion. [19]

Pluralistic Christianity argues that the religions of the world are full of anonymous Christians worshipping an unknown Christ. It thus asks us to agree that someone can be saved by Christ without knowing Christ, as if someone can believe in Christ without actually believing in Him at all. [23]

Truth cannot contradict itself. Either Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world, or He is not. It is one of the other; it cannot be both. [34]

To use an analogy, Jesus is like God’s telephone number. The God of the universe can only be contacted through Jesus Christ. Philosophical pluralists insist on getting through to God no matter what number they dial. But that is not how the telephone system operates, and it is not how God operates either. Jesus is the only direct line to God. [37]

When it comes right down to it, the problem is not that there is only one way to God. The real problem is that human beings will not follow God at all. [41]

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